This chapter focuses on the career of Béla Tarr. Tarr was born in Pécs, in southern Hungary, in 1955. For his fourteenth birthday he received an 8mm camera from his father which started his journey ...
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This chapter focuses on the career of Béla Tarr. Tarr was born in Pécs, in southern Hungary, in 1955. For his fourteenth birthday he received an 8mm camera from his father which started his journey into filmmaking. At the age of twenty-two, he released his first full-length feature film, Family Nest (Családi tűzfészek, 1977), which also won the Grand Prize at the 1979 Mannheim International Film Festival. In 1980, Tarr was among the founders of a newly formed studio called Társulás Studiá. Officially the studio's mission was to create and promote the semi-documentary, semi-fictional style the founders of the studio initiated five years earlier. However, filmmakers with clearly avant-garde ambitions could also come and make films in the studio. By the early years of 2000 Tarr was already well-known for his international successes and was recognized as a somewhat eccentric but important figure of Hungarian cinema. In 2010 he was elected president of the Hungarian Filmmakers Association.Less

The Persona

András Bálint Kovács

Published in print: 2013-05-21

This chapter focuses on the career of Béla Tarr. Tarr was born in Pécs, in southern Hungary, in 1955. For his fourteenth birthday he received an 8mm camera from his father which started his journey into filmmaking. At the age of twenty-two, he released his first full-length feature film, Family Nest (Családi tűzfészek, 1977), which also won the Grand Prize at the 1979 Mannheim International Film Festival. In 1980, Tarr was among the founders of a newly formed studio called Társulás Studiá. Officially the studio's mission was to create and promote the semi-documentary, semi-fictional style the founders of the studio initiated five years earlier. However, filmmakers with clearly avant-garde ambitions could also come and make films in the studio. By the early years of 2000 Tarr was already well-known for his international successes and was recognized as a somewhat eccentric but important figure of Hungarian cinema. In 2010 he was elected president of the Hungarian Filmmakers Association.

This chapter examines four aspects of Tarr's narration that are more or less constant in his oeuvre: banality of narrative events; slowness of narration and suspense; static situations and circular ...
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This chapter examines four aspects of Tarr's narration that are more or less constant in his oeuvre: banality of narrative events; slowness of narration and suspense; static situations and circular narrative form. Manifestations of these four aspects in individual films are also discussed. The basic building block of Tarr films is the banality, or the unexceptional, everyday character, of the events. At his best Tarr can render even the most excessive or exceptional event an everyday banality that has no effect on the characters' way of life. Slowness of narration is a cornerstone of the Tarr style and one of the main ingredients of the circular structure—a structure producing the feeling that the return is inevitable. Circularity of dramatic form characterizes stories in which characters go through a series of events but these events do not get them closer to the solution to their initial problem. Not only does this remain unresolved, but at the end they lose the perspective to resolve it that they may have had at the beginning. At the end of the film they find themselves in a situation that is the same as or worse than before.Less

Narration in the Tarr Films

András Bálint Kovács

Published in print: 2013-05-21

This chapter examines four aspects of Tarr's narration that are more or less constant in his oeuvre: banality of narrative events; slowness of narration and suspense; static situations and circular narrative form. Manifestations of these four aspects in individual films are also discussed. The basic building block of Tarr films is the banality, or the unexceptional, everyday character, of the events. At his best Tarr can render even the most excessive or exceptional event an everyday banality that has no effect on the characters' way of life. Slowness of narration is a cornerstone of the Tarr style and one of the main ingredients of the circular structure—a structure producing the feeling that the return is inevitable. Circularity of dramatic form characterizes stories in which characters go through a series of events but these events do not get them closer to the solution to their initial problem. Not only does this remain unresolved, but at the end they lose the perspective to resolve it that they may have had at the beginning. At the end of the film they find themselves in a situation that is the same as or worse than before.

In the films subsequent to Damnation (1987) the basics of the Tarr style do not change, but a certain evolution can be detected in several details. This chapter discusses this evolutionary process. ...
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In the films subsequent to Damnation (1987) the basics of the Tarr style do not change, but a certain evolution can be detected in several details. This chapter discusses this evolutionary process. The constants in his films are rather obvious: all are black and white; the average shot length (ASL) does not go under two minutes, but in two cases it increases by 84 per cent as compared to Damnation; the environment is characterized always by some combination of desolation and poverty; a film noir visual style dominates; and all the stories continue to be based on the situation of entrapment, but from Damnation on these stories strictly and consistently adhere to a circular structure and are detached from all historical and geographical concreteness. However, there is also an increasing degree of emotional expressivity in Tarr's films. He seems to seek an ever more powerful way to express a feeling of general desperation over the impossibility of changing the situation of human helplessness.Less

The Tarr Style in Evolution

András Bálint Kovács

Published in print: 2013-05-21

In the films subsequent to Damnation (1987) the basics of the Tarr style do not change, but a certain evolution can be detected in several details. This chapter discusses this evolutionary process. The constants in his films are rather obvious: all are black and white; the average shot length (ASL) does not go under two minutes, but in two cases it increases by 84 per cent as compared to Damnation; the environment is characterized always by some combination of desolation and poverty; a film noir visual style dominates; and all the stories continue to be based on the situation of entrapment, but from Damnation on these stories strictly and consistently adhere to a circular structure and are detached from all historical and geographical concreteness. However, there is also an increasing degree of emotional expressivity in Tarr's films. He seems to seek an ever more powerful way to express a feeling of general desperation over the impossibility of changing the situation of human helplessness.

This concluding chapter looks at the reasons behind Tarr's outstanding international reputation. One part of the answer could be that Tarr did not just make “interesting” or “good” films. He created ...
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This concluding chapter looks at the reasons behind Tarr's outstanding international reputation. One part of the answer could be that Tarr did not just make “interesting” or “good” films. He created an original version of stylistic features that are part of recognizable and important international art-film currents. Another element is the “added value” of his style, which is threefold. First, an incredibly grim, depressed atmosphere; second, a landscape entirely unknown to the international audience yet very typical of a geographical and historical region: Eastern Europe; and third, a historical situation—all of this appeared when international art-film culture had just started to rediscover the value of these elements in the films made in regions far from Western Europe. The third element is a consequence of all this. With Tarr's films a very strange form of realism emerged in art cinema.Less

Conclusion

András Bálint Kovács

Published in print: 2013-05-21

This concluding chapter looks at the reasons behind Tarr's outstanding international reputation. One part of the answer could be that Tarr did not just make “interesting” or “good” films. He created an original version of stylistic features that are part of recognizable and important international art-film currents. Another element is the “added value” of his style, which is threefold. First, an incredibly grim, depressed atmosphere; second, a landscape entirely unknown to the international audience yet very typical of a geographical and historical region: Eastern Europe; and third, a historical situation—all of this appeared when international art-film culture had just started to rediscover the value of these elements in the films made in regions far from Western Europe. The third element is a consequence of all this. With Tarr's films a very strange form of realism emerged in art cinema.

This chapter examines Béla Tarr's early filmmaking style. Tarr's early films were considerably different from the documentary-fiction stylistic norm which they otherwise followed. Although this ...
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This chapter examines Béla Tarr's early filmmaking style. Tarr's early films were considerably different from the documentary-fiction stylistic norm which they otherwise followed. Although this difference can be grasped in stylistic terms, it concerns in the first instance the thematic focus. Tarr was interested mainly in human relations rather than in sociological or political reality, which he considered only as a background for his stories. He wanted to catch the “real” on the level of human communication, and he tried to adjust the stylistic norms of the documentary current to this level, which already had some stylistic constraints. He also realized that this was possible only if he accepted a particular authorial position, since what he wanted to provide was not an “objective” sociological description, but a subjective interpretation of human relations. He gradually selected and combined his stylistic and narrative devices so that the authorial aspect became more prominent, while the “reality effect” remained intact, thanks to improvisational acting. After all this, Tarr reached the stylistic system of John Cassavetes' films made in the 1970s, which he knew well and respected.Less

Style in the Early Years

András Bálint Kovács

Published in print: 2013-05-21

This chapter examines Béla Tarr's early filmmaking style. Tarr's early films were considerably different from the documentary-fiction stylistic norm which they otherwise followed. Although this difference can be grasped in stylistic terms, it concerns in the first instance the thematic focus. Tarr was interested mainly in human relations rather than in sociological or political reality, which he considered only as a background for his stories. He wanted to catch the “real” on the level of human communication, and he tried to adjust the stylistic norms of the documentary current to this level, which already had some stylistic constraints. He also realized that this was possible only if he accepted a particular authorial position, since what he wanted to provide was not an “objective” sociological description, but a subjective interpretation of human relations. He gradually selected and combined his stylistic and narrative devices so that the authorial aspect became more prominent, while the “reality effect” remained intact, thanks to improvisational acting. After all this, Tarr reached the stylistic system of John Cassavetes' films made in the 1970s, which he knew well and respected.

This chapter deals with the characters in Béla Tarr's films. His characters belong to the general conception of his films rather than to the individual stories. While each story has its particular ...
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This chapter deals with the characters in Béla Tarr's films. His characters belong to the general conception of his films rather than to the individual stories. While each story has its particular characters, they represent identifiable types and many are very similar to each other. The chapter considers the social status and personal traits of Tarr's characters as well as their lack of development during the story. It also discusses how his films explore the same basic problem: the problem of human dignity in extreme moral and existential circumstances, which makes a moralizing attitude impossible. His films represent an existential situation from which there is no escape, which is in itself demoralizing, and which is rendered even more serious by moral failures. Tarr represents characters who are at the terminal phase of their struggle for saving their human dignity. They are about to lose this struggle, and their survival has long ago been taken out of their hands, but as long as they live, they try to save their dignity.Less

The Characters

András Bálint Kovács

Published in print: 2013-05-21

This chapter deals with the characters in Béla Tarr's films. His characters belong to the general conception of his films rather than to the individual stories. While each story has its particular characters, they represent identifiable types and many are very similar to each other. The chapter considers the social status and personal traits of Tarr's characters as well as their lack of development during the story. It also discusses how his films explore the same basic problem: the problem of human dignity in extreme moral and existential circumstances, which makes a moralizing attitude impossible. His films represent an existential situation from which there is no escape, which is in itself demoralizing, and which is rendered even more serious by moral failures. Tarr represents characters who are at the terminal phase of their struggle for saving their human dignity. They are about to lose this struggle, and their survival has long ago been taken out of their hands, but as long as they live, they try to save their dignity.

This introductory chapter provides an overview of the style and oeuvre of Hungary's most prominent and internationally best-known film director, Béla Tarr. Tarr follows a very particular method in ...
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This introductory chapter provides an overview of the style and oeuvre of Hungary's most prominent and internationally best-known film director, Béla Tarr. Tarr follows a very particular method in developing his works, dubbed as the permutation principle. This principle concerns not only the stylistic level, but also higher narrative and thematic levels. Once he found the successful ingredients and their combinations, he continued developing this style in various radical ways until he arrived at a point where only two possibilities seemed viable: returning to a more classical formal system, or abandoning his formal and thematic world altogether. He chose the second way, but made this choice in a radical manner, by announcing his potential withdrawal from filmmaking. Tarr's films include Damnation (1987), Satantango (1994), and Werckmeister Harmonies (2000).Less

Introduction

András Bálint Kovács

Published in print: 2013-05-21

This introductory chapter provides an overview of the style and oeuvre of Hungary's most prominent and internationally best-known film director, Béla Tarr. Tarr follows a very particular method in developing his works, dubbed as the permutation principle. This principle concerns not only the stylistic level, but also higher narrative and thematic levels. Once he found the successful ingredients and their combinations, he continued developing this style in various radical ways until he arrived at a point where only two possibilities seemed viable: returning to a more classical formal system, or abandoning his formal and thematic world altogether. He chose the second way, but made this choice in a radical manner, by announcing his potential withdrawal from filmmaking. Tarr's films include Damnation (1987), Satantango (1994), and Werckmeister Harmonies (2000).

This book is a critical analysis of the work of Hungary's most prominent and internationally best known film director, written by a scholar who has followed Béla Tarr's career through a close ...
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This book is a critical analysis of the work of Hungary's most prominent and internationally best known film director, written by a scholar who has followed Béla Tarr's career through a close personal and professional relationship for more than twenty-five years. The book traces the development of Tarr's themes, characters, and style, showing that almost all of his major stylistic and narrative innovations were already present in his early films and that through a conscious and meticulous recombination of and experimentation with these elements, Tarr arrived at his unique style. The significance of these films is that, beyond their aesthetic and historical value, they provide the most powerful vision of an entire region and its historical situation. Tarr's films express, in their universalistic language, the shared feelings of millions of Eastern Europeans.Less

The Cinema of Béla Tarr : The Circle Closes

András Bálint Kovács

Published in print: 2013-05-21

This book is a critical analysis of the work of Hungary's most prominent and internationally best known film director, written by a scholar who has followed Béla Tarr's career through a close personal and professional relationship for more than twenty-five years. The book traces the development of Tarr's themes, characters, and style, showing that almost all of his major stylistic and narrative innovations were already present in his early films and that through a conscious and meticulous recombination of and experimentation with these elements, Tarr arrived at his unique style. The significance of these films is that, beyond their aesthetic and historical value, they provide the most powerful vision of an entire region and its historical situation. Tarr's films express, in their universalistic language, the shared feelings of millions of Eastern Europeans.

This chapter discusses the Tarr style of filmmaking, particularly his use of extremely long takes. It characterizes four types of use of long takes, most of them combined with long camera movements, ...
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This chapter discusses the Tarr style of filmmaking, particularly his use of extremely long takes. It characterizes four types of use of long takes, most of them combined with long camera movements, which were the most influential in the cinema of the 1960s and 1970s, as well as in Tarr's work: (i) the process of de-dramatization; (ii) the choreography of continuous change; (iii) the immersion and psychological participation; and (iv) the distanced observation and self-conscious authorial presence. Tarr's long-take style has something of each of these effects. He mainly uses long takes to connect events, but because there is very little narrative content in most of them, he uses long takes alternatively to create the sensation of immersion or, on the contrary, to alienate the viewer through mechanistic movements or static compositions or by making the camera independent of the character's movement. The chapter discusses the Tarr style as it appears in Damnation (1987).Less

The Tarr Style

András Bálint Kovács

Published in print: 2013-05-21

This chapter discusses the Tarr style of filmmaking, particularly his use of extremely long takes. It characterizes four types of use of long takes, most of them combined with long camera movements, which were the most influential in the cinema of the 1960s and 1970s, as well as in Tarr's work: (i) the process of de-dramatization; (ii) the choreography of continuous change; (iii) the immersion and psychological participation; and (iv) the distanced observation and self-conscious authorial presence. Tarr's long-take style has something of each of these effects. He mainly uses long takes to connect events, but because there is very little narrative content in most of them, he uses long takes alternatively to create the sensation of immersion or, on the contrary, to alienate the viewer through mechanistic movements or static compositions or by making the camera independent of the character's movement. The chapter discusses the Tarr style as it appears in Damnation (1987).

The filmmakers discussed in earlier chapters attempted to construct long-form works whose phenomenological intensity was tied to their status as integral temporal experiences that could open up new ...
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The filmmakers discussed in earlier chapters attempted to construct long-form works whose phenomenological intensity was tied to their status as integral temporal experiences that could open up new affective possibilities for the spectator. The mode of viewing required by these works contrasts starkly with the mobile spectatorship engendered by contemporary multimedia projects that attempt to apply the principles of the Gesamtkunstwerk within a multiroom gallery setting. It also differs significantly from the type of intermittent viewing engendered by more recent long-form works, which, made entirely with inexpensive digital equipment, are no longer conceived as continuous units and are instead intended to be viewed in pieces, with the audience members encouraged to come and go as they please. What is most important for the filmmakers studied in this book is a conception of art as mystery, as spiritual elevation, as something that, like a cathedral, could “protect time.”Less

Conclusion

Richard I. Suchenski

Published in print: 2016-07-28

The filmmakers discussed in earlier chapters attempted to construct long-form works whose phenomenological intensity was tied to their status as integral temporal experiences that could open up new affective possibilities for the spectator. The mode of viewing required by these works contrasts starkly with the mobile spectatorship engendered by contemporary multimedia projects that attempt to apply the principles of the Gesamtkunstwerk within a multiroom gallery setting. It also differs significantly from the type of intermittent viewing engendered by more recent long-form works, which, made entirely with inexpensive digital equipment, are no longer conceived as continuous units and are instead intended to be viewed in pieces, with the audience members encouraged to come and go as they please. What is most important for the filmmakers studied in this book is a conception of art as mystery, as spiritual elevation, as something that, like a cathedral, could “protect time.”